


Trust Issues

by IronWoman359



Series: IronWoman359's Bad Things Happen Bingo [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: (implied but not shown or described), Fear, Gen, Human Experimentation, Hurt/Comfort, Prompt: Trust Issues, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:07:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24203356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IronWoman359/pseuds/IronWoman359
Summary: At a rescue/rehabilitation center for victims of human experimentation, Patton attempts to build a rapport with the newest patient.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders
Series: IronWoman359's Bad Things Happen Bingo [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1746898
Comments: 34
Kudos: 296
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo





	1. Chapter 1

“How is he today?”

The grim look on Logan’s face was all the answer Patton needed, and he sighed. He placed the tray he’d been carrying on Logan’s desk and stepped around him to peer at the monitors his partner had been studying. They showed a video feed of a small but comfortably furnished room that looked empty at first glance, but Patton knew what to look for. There! In the corner furthest from the room’s door, a small, dark figure was huddled in a ball. Even through the video feed, it was clear that he was shaking.

Patton’s heart ached at the sight, and he wanted nothing more than to swoop in and pull the poor thing into his arms and promise him that everything would be okay. However, given his previous reactions to anyone trying to touch him, Patton knew that would be a bad idea. Still, he wasn’t going to just sit on the outside and observe anymore.

“I’m going to bring him his food today myself.”

Logan looked up, eyes wide. 

“Patton, that is very ill-advised–” 

“He’s not eaten anything, Lo, if we don’t get that to change fast, we’re going to have to sedate him and hook him up to a feeding tube, and you and I both know that if we do that we’ll shatter any chance of him ever trusting us.” 

Logan sighed and rubbed his eyes, staring at the screens. “Yes, I know. I had hoped that us giving him space and providing him with food and water would be enough to show that we mean well, but apparently not.” 

“You know what he’s survived, Logan,” Patton said quietly. “He probably doesn’t even trust that the food is safe. We have to __prove__ to him that we aren’t going to hurt him.” 

“Be careful,” Logan cautioned as Patton picked up his tray again and headed down the hallway to where the holding rooms were. Patton paused outside their newest guest’s room, and took a deep breath before punching a code in the keypad by the door. He hated that the door had to be kept locked, but when the subject was so unstable, they had to keep him confined for his own safety. Patton hoped they’d be able to change that soon. 

“Hey there, kiddo,” Patton called softly as he stepped into the room, the automatic door sliding shut behind him with a hiss. “You doing okay this morning?”

The figure in the corner flinched away, and Patton smiled gently. He kept his eyes lowered and curled in on himself as he approached, trying to appear small and nonthreatening. He sat down on the floor, folding his legs underneath him, and glanced up to check for a reaction.

“I brought you something to eat,” he said. “Are you hungry?” 

The boy glared at him from under a shock of dark hair, and Patton resisted the urge to reach out and brush it out of his eyes. He had to be more delicate than that if he was going to get through to him. 

“You’ve gotta eat something, kiddo, you don’t wanna get sick,” he said. He held out the tray, but the boy just scooted further away. Patton nodded, setting the tray on the ground. 

“Listen, I get it,” he murmured. “You’re scared, and suspicious. I don’t blame you; I would be too if I’d been in those labs. But this place isn’t like that. We’re a rehabilitation facility, you don’t have anything to fear here, I promise.”

The boy didn’t look convinced, but Patton hadn’t expected him to be. For all he was concerned, Patton was just another scientist who wanted something from him. 

“Look kiddo, if you won’t eat your lunch, do you mind if I have some?” he asked lightly. “I haven’t eaten yet today, and this soup smells amazing.” 

The boy frowned at that, glancing at Patton out of the corner of his eye, and Patton suppressed a smile. 

Good, he had his attention. 

Carefully, so the boy could see what he was doing, Patton picked up the plastic spoon from the edge of the tray and took a bite of the soup. He smiled over at the boy, who was staring openly at him now. 

“You sure you don’t want any?” he asked. “It’s really good.” 

He took another spoonful, then picked up the piece of bread lying on the tray and tore off a section, dipping it in the broth. He popped it in his mouth, then nudged the tray towards the boy with an encouraging smile. 

The boy hesitated, and Patton made a show of swallowing his mouthful of bread. That seemed to finally be enough for him, and he scooted closer, just close enough to grab at the tray. He snatched up the hunk of bread and dunked it in the soup broth before tearing off an enormous bite. He barely took time to chew before swallowing and taking another massive mouthful, and Patton fought the urge to giggle. 

“Easy, kiddo,” he said instead. “You don’t wanna choke and hurt yourself. There’s more where that came from if you want it.” 

That made the boy pause, and he regarded Patton with a curious look. He swallowed slowly, then, in a voice so low and raspy that Patton almost didn’t hear, asked “Really?” 

Patton forced his face to remain calm, even though his insides were leaping with excitement. He’d talked! He’d actually talked! Other than his panicked screams and aggressive hissing when he’d first been brought in, he hadn’t made a sound the entire time he’d been here, and now he’d spoken! Only one word, but still, it was progress, and Patton was going to take it. 

“Of course,” he said, keeping his voice even. “There’s definitely enough for seconds if you want. I’d have to take a trip down to the kitchens to get some, but I’d be happy to do so!”

There was a beat of silence, and then, 

“Why?” 

Oh, that simple word spoke volumes, and Patton couldn’t decide whether he should pull the kiddo close and promise him that he’d never be hurt again or go out and hunt down anyone and everyone who was responsible for making the notion of kindness such a strange and foreign one to him. 

“Because you need to get your strength up, kiddo,” he said, pushing both urges away for now. “You’ve been through a lot.” 

“And what...” the boy’s voice shook, and he paused, swallowing before continuing. “What happens... _ _after__ I get my strength up?” 

Patton smiled sadly. 

“Absolutely nothing. We’re not here to hurt you.”

The boy looked skeptical, and Patton sighed. 

“I don’t blame you for not trusting me,” he said quietly. “I’d be cautious too, if I were in your shoes. I just...hope that you’ll give me a chance to prove that I really do want to help you. Will you let me do that?”

The boy regarded him silently, and eventually nodded. Patton smiled brightly at him, then took a deep breath. Time to test the waters. 

“My name is Patton, by the way,” he said, and the boy's eyes widened just a bit. “Do you have something I can call you, besides just kiddo?” 

The boy looked away, and Patton held his breath, hoping that he hadn’t moved too quickly. If he spooked now, it could take ages to coax him into opening a dialogue with them, and- 

“Virgil.” 

Patton nearly squeaked in surprise. 

“My name is Virgil,” Virgil said again, and Patton’s face bloomed into a smile. Virgil watched him for a moment, then offered a tiny, hesitant smile back. 

It was official. Patton was putting all his other cases on hold until he was sure that Virgil would never be afraid to smile again. The path towards his recovery certainly wouldn’t be easy, but if Virgil was willing to try, then Patton would give it his absolute everything. 

“Well, Virgil,” he said, his smile growing wider. “It’s very nice to meet you.”


	2. Gaining Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil’s made amazing progress with Patton in the time they’ve spent together, but something’s still bothering him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! A sequel/second chapter! This was requested by tumblr user @yalltookmyurlideas, and I had tons of fun expanding this story and world to create this sequel! I hope you enjoy!

“Knock knock,” Patton called through the door to Virgil’s room. “Can I come in?” 

There was a beat of silence, and then he got a soft, hesitant “ _Yeah_ ” in response. Patton smiled proudly and hit the control panel beside the door with his elbow, taking care not to drop the tray of food he was carrying. 

“That was good, Virgil,” he said as he entered the room. “But remember, you can say no if it’s not a good time.”

Virgil was still getting used to exercising his own agency, but Patton had been working tirelessly to make sure that he knew his opinion mattered, and the progress he’d made had been beautiful to watch. 

Patton had learned quickly that Virgil would get overwhelmed if given too many freedoms all at once, so he’d started out small. 

“What would you like to have for dinner today, kiddo?” he’d asked a few days after he’d first made contact with Virgil. When even that simple question was met with a confused stare, Patton changed his tune. “Would you like soup or a chicken sandwich?” 

It took a bit of convincing that the choice wasn’t a test and that there was no wrong answer, but Virgil eventually selected the soup, and thus began the slow process of introducing choices back into his life. At the moment, he was decently comfortable asking for simple things, such as a preferred meal or a small leisure item, but he was still trying to process bigger concepts like his privacy being important or having control over how he spent his time. Still, he was learning, and Patton couldn’t be prouder. 

“How’re you doing today, kiddo?” he asked now as he set the tray of food down on the table.

Virgil hesitated, and Patton gave him an encouraging nod. That was another new thing that Patton was working on, letting Virgil know that he wouldn’t be punished for voicing his feelings or thinking in the Wrong Way. 

“I’m...alright, I guess,” Virgil eventually said, quietly reaching for his dish of pasta.

“Is something on your mind?” Patton asked as he sat down with his own lunch. Eating with Virgil had become his new daily practice, and even though Virgil no longer needed Patton to eat a bite of his food to be convinced it wasn’t drugged, Patton found that sharing meals was still the most effective method for building up their rapport.

Virgil was silent for a moment, and Patton waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts. 

“I...guess I have a question,” he admitted eventually. He glanced up at Patton, who nodded for him to continue, and he sighed. “Why, um...why did you rescue me?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper. 

Patton blinked. Of all the possible worries Virgil could have been dealing with, this hadn’t been one that he’d expected. 

“Well,” he said carefully, “our organization is dedicated to putting an end to unethical human imprisonment and experimentation. Tracking down labs like the one we rescued you from and getting people out is a big part of what we do, and–” 

“No, I mean–” Virgil slapped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide as he realized he’d interrupted, but Patton smiled. 

“It’s okay, go on,” he encouraged, and Virgil slowly lowered his hand. 

“I guess what I’m asking is, did you rescue anyone else that day? Besides me?” 

“Oh! Um...no, we didn’t,” Patton said. “You were the only subject we brought in from that particular lab.” 

“Why?” Virgil asked, and Patton sucked in a breath through his teeth. 

“I don’t know, Virgil,” he admitted. “I’m a behavioral specialist, and don’t leave this compound very often. I’m not involved in the raids on the labs, just in evaluating and caring for subjects after the fact.”

Virgil nodded, wrapping his arms around his legs. 

“That’s okay,” he said, his voice sounding resigned. “I just...thought I’d ask.”

“Do you not remember what happened that day?” Patton asked curiously, and Virgil shook his head. 

“Not really...I remember bits and pieces, but nothing that really makes a whole lot of sense.”

“If you want…” Patton said slowly. “I could introduce you to Roman. He’s the one who was in charge of the raid that brought you to us...he’d probably have better answers to your questions.” 

Virgil bit his lip, and for a moment Patton thought he was going to decline the offer, but then he looked up and gave a small nod. Patton suppressed the urge to squeal with pride, instead opting for another supportive smile. Virgil was uneasy around most other people save for Patton (and sometimes Logan, on a good day), so the fact that he was willing to seek out a total stranger? That was progress. 

“How does meeting him later this afternoon sound to you?” Patton asked, and Virgil nodded again. 

“I’d...appreciate that,” he said, and Patton grinned at him. 

Not for the first time, he wished he could pull Virgil into a tight hug, but touch was something Virgil was still skittish about, and Patton knew better than to startle him like that. Instead, he offered Virgil his hand, and after a pause, Virgil took it. Patton squeezed their hands gently, their own version of a hug, and today was one of the days that Virgil decided to squeeze back. Patton’s cheeks were sure to be sore from how widely he was smiling, but seeing Virgil’s soft, shy smile in return made it absolutely worth it. 

\--- --- ---

Once Patton and Virgil had finished their lunch, Patton went to track down Roman. As he’d expected, he was still in the cafeteria, arms gesturing wildly as he chattered away at his table. 

“...make sense, Remus, there’s no way Ursula would beat Maleficent. Maleficent can turn into a _dragon!_ ” 

“Yeah, well _Ursula_ can turn into a hundred-foot squid monster, so the dragon thing’s a non-issue!” 

“‘Scuse me, boys,” Patton interrupted, knocking on their table. “But I need to steal Roman for a bit.” 

“Fine,” Remus sighed, waving the two of them away as Roman got to his feet. “I suppose we can put the discussion on pause.” 

“Thanks, Remus,” Patton called over his shoulder as he pulled Roman out into the hallway. 

“What is it, Padre?” Roman asked as Patton led him down the hall. 

“I...need your help with something,” Patton began. “You know Virgil? The kid we brought in a few weeks ago?” 

“The one who’s been your priority ever since the last raid?” Roman asked, and Patton nodded. “What about him?” 

“He...well, he doesn’t really remember how he got here very well,” Patton explained. “And I figured you could maybe bring some clarity there.”

“Absolutely, what is it you want to know?” 

“Not clarity for me, Roman,” Patton said, shaking his head. “Clarity for Virgil. Something about that day is bothering him. He’s agreed to talk with you, but I’m warning you right now, he’s very sensitive. Try and be gentle with him, alright?” 

“Very well,” Roman agreed with a dramatic sigh. “For the greater good, I suppose I can dull my usual, sparkly self.” 

“We appreciate your sacrifice,” Patton responded dryly. 

“What would you do without me?” Roman asked, grinning, and Patton giggled.

“Alright Mister Drama Queen, come on. I don’t wanna keep him waiting.” 

Patton led Roman down the corridors, pausing when he reached Virgil’s door. 

“Really, Roman. I don’t want him to spook.”

“I’ll be careful,” Roman promised, and Patton took a deep breath.

“Virgil?” he called through the door. “It’s Patton...I brought Roman to meet with you, is that alright?”

There was a long silence, and Roman raised an eyebrow at Patton, who shrugged helplessly. 

“Virgil, it’s okay if you changed your–” 

“No! I mean, um...y-you can come in.” 

Patton breathed a sigh of relief, and punched in the code for the door. Virgil was sitting on his bed, knees drawn to his chest, and Patton didn’t miss the way he tensed when Roman came into the room. 

“Can we sit down?” Patton asked, gesturing at the pair of chairs in the middle of the room, and Virgil nodded mutely. “This is my friend, Roman,” Patton continued as he and Roman took their seats. “He was in charge of the raid on the lab where we found you.”

“I was glad to hear you’re doing better, Virgil,” Roman said, smiling warmly. “I heard you have some questions for me?” 

Virgil nodded, and took a deep breath. 

“When…” he swallowed and glanced at Patton, who smiled encouragingly. “When you, um, found me...why didn’t you get anyone else out?” 

Roman blinked. 

“I’m sorry, what do you mean?” he asked carefully, and Virgil bit his lip. 

“I wasn’t the only... _subject_ they had there.” He ducked his head, and murmured, “so why was I the only one you freed?” 

Patton’s eyes widened, and he shot Roman a worried look, but Roman’s composure stayed calm and even. 

“How much do you remember from that day?” he asked, and Virgil shrugged. 

“Not a lot. Just bits and pieces, really. There was shouting, it was loud, and there were so many people….I remember being scared, confused...and being carried away by people I didn’t recognize.” 

“Every time we raid a lab, we have one main priority,” Roman explained. “To get as many innocent people out as possible. We try to capture the scientists for questioning if we can, but if it’s a choice between catching one of them and getting a subject to safety, we choose the subject every time.” 

“So why–”

“Why were you the only one we rescued that day?” Roman asked, and Virgil nodded. “You were the only one we could get to in time.” 

“In time? What does that mean?” 

“When we storm the labs, it’s important they don’t know we’re coming beforehand; if they do they could try to escape. Usually we’re good at our surprise attacks, but something went wrong this time, and the alarm sounded almost immediately. By the time we reached where human testing took place, evacuation was already underway. We tried to stop them, but they had transport waiting and were able to steal away all of their subjects and most of their data before we could catch them. We were able to save you because you were…” 

Roman trailed off and glanced at Patton, but Virgil leaned forward. 

“Tell me,” he insisted. 

“From the looks of it, they’d begun a procedure on you moments before we stormed the base,” Roman said hesitantly. “They weren't able to disengage fast enough to take you with them, though they must have tried at first; you were partially unstrapped from the exam table and the equipment in the room was powering down. They must have heard us coming and decided to flee without you. That’s why you were the only one we were able to bring back.”

Virgil let out a shaky breath. “So they took him,” he muttered, curling back in on himself. 

“Took who, kiddo?” Patton asked, but Virgil shook his head.

“He...I c-can’t–” 

“Is it someone who was in the labs with you? Another test subject?” Patton asked, and Virgil nodded.

“I thought maybe he...I had hoped that–”

“Virgil,” Roman said solemnly, and Virgil looked up at him, eyes wide. “All is not lost. We’re already in the process of tracking down where they went. We’re going to do everything we can to bring him back to you, alright?” 

“Promise?” Virgil whispered, and Roman raised his right hand. 

“On my honor.” 

Virgil nodded, curling in on himself again, and Patton bit his lip. He just hoped for Virigl’s sake that Roman was right.

\--- --- --- 

Around a week later, Patton held his breath and knocked on Virgil’s door. 

“Come in,” Virgil called, and Patton stepped inside. 

“Virgil…we found them.” 

Virgil was on his feet in an instant. 

“We still don’t know if your friend is with them,” Patton cautioned. “But Roman is sure they’re from the same lab. They’re getting checked out in the infirmary right now.”

“Can I...I mean, can we…”

Patton nodded, and held out a hand that Virgil took immediately. He led him out of the room and through the compound, pausing when they reached the door to the infirmary.

“Are you ready?” 

Virgil’s face was a shade paler than normal, and he bit his lip. 

“What if...what if it’s not…”

“Then we’ll keep looking,” Patton said firmly. “We won’t stop looking until we know what happened to him, kiddo.” 

Virgil took a shaky breath, then nodded. 

“Okay...okay, I’m ready.” 

Patton smiled at him, then punched in the code to open the infirmary doors. 

Logan’s voice washed over them as they entered, addressing the new group of patients who were huddled together at the edge of the room. 

“...understand this is a frightening time for you. Rest assured, we have your absolute best interests at heart, and are here to make sure you all make as quick a recovery as possible. Oh, and I’ve been instructed to ask if any of you know a young man named–” 

“Virgil!” 

One of the patients shot to their feet, mismatched eyes wide, and in an instant, Virgil was across the room. 

“Janus!” 

The two of them collided in a tangle of limbs, both of them shaking slightly as they clung to each other. 

“Oh god, Virgil...I was afraid they’d killed you,” Janus gasped, pulling back and cupping Virgil’s face. Virgil leaned into the touch, placing his own hand over Janus’s. 

“I’m okay, Jan,” he murmured. “I promise.” 

“So, these people, they–” 

“They’re okay,” Virgil assured him. “Really. They got me out, helped nurse me back to health, I–” his breath hitched, and tears pooled in his eyes. “I just thought I’d never see you again,” he whimpered. 

Janus pulled him closer, and Virgil buried his face in Janus’s shoulder. The two stayed like that for ages, refusing to move until Logan finally insisted on performing Janus’s physical. Virgil stayed right by his side the entire time, holding his hand tightly and staring at him, as if he’d disappear if he stopped looking at him for even one second. 

Logan eventually cleared Janus to leave the infirmary and Patton came over to the examination table. 

“Hey kiddos,” he said, smiling warmly. “Looks like Lo has you all set to go, so I wanted to ask. Would the two of you like to share a room, or would you be more comfortable in one by yourselves?” 

Janus frowned, like he didn’t trust the question, but Virgil’s eyes widened. 

“We...we can stay together?” he asked. 

“If you want to, –oof!” 

Patton staggered back as Virgil flung himself into his arms. For a moment he was stunned (Virgil was _hugging_ him!), but then he acted on instinct, wrapping his arms around him tightly. 

“Thank you,” Virgil whispered. “For everything.” 

Patton held on tight, letting Virgil relax into him and rubbing his back soothingly. 

“Thank _you_ , Virgil,” Patton said, and Virgil pulled away a bit, frowning. 

“For what?” he asked, and Patton smiled. 

“For trusting me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you wanna follow me on tumblr, I'm @ironwoman359. Thanks for reading! <3


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